Pro-Government Militias
Social Cleansing Squads (Honduras)
Basic Group Information
| Name assigned by coder: | yes |
| PGM ID Number: | 517 |
| Country: | Honduras |
| Date formed: | July 3, 1997 |
| Accuracy of date formed: | year |
| Details of Formation: | In the late 1990s, evidence of crime-fighting death squads with alleged connections to the police and military started to appear. They appear to have been formed from death squads from the 1980s, reorienting their purpose towards fighting crime. |
| Date dissolved: | Unknown |
| Accuracy of date dissolved: | day |
| Details of Termination: | |
| Termination Type(s): | not terminated |
Former and Successor Group Information
| Predecessor group(s): | none |
| Successor group(s): | none |
| Private Military Company? | no |
| Former Group? | yes |
| Former Armed Group? | unclear |
| Former Rebel Group? | no |
| Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
| PGM Becomes Rebel Group? | no |
| Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: | none |
Government Relation, Support, and Training
| Government Relation: | informal (type 1) |
| Created by the Government?: | yes | Main Creating Government Institution: | military |
| Government Link(s): | state (institution); military (institution) |
| If link to party, name of party: | None |
| Training and Equipment: | yes |
| Shared Information and Joint Operations: | yes |
| Shared Personnel: | yes |
| Type(s) of Material Support: | domestic government |
| State Sponsor(s): | none |
| Other Connection(s): |
Group Characteristics
| Membership: | security forces |
| Primary Membership: | no information |
| Alternative Primary Membership: | no information |
| Location: | Nationwide, incl. Tegucigalpa, San Pedro Sula |
| Force Strength: | [unknown, unknown] |
| Target(s): | civilians; criminals |
| Purpose(s): | intimidation of civilians; anti crime |
Ethnic Characteristics
| Ethnic Target(s): | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Membership: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: | not applicable |
| Ethnic Purpose: | none |
| Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: | not applicable |
Other Information
| Other Information: | Social cleansing, that is the extrajudicial killings of criminals and other 'undesirables', is common in the large cities of Honduras. Some squads are allegedly formed by security forces and linked to the national police. Some armed bands sanctioned by the government go under the name security committees and are meant to supplement the national police. According to some sources, social cleansers have killed up to 5000 street kids since the late 1990s. Not all squads are created within the government, but coded as yes since in some cases it appears to be the case. |
New Variables from Meta-Analysis
Purpose
| Purpose: | The group existed prior to 1997 and attacked political activists at the time. After the government aligned with the militia, its members were targeting criminals. Its purpose was to reduce crime and assist the police. |
| Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use | unknown |
Treatment of Civilians
| Treatment of Civilians: | Although the militia’s intended purpose was to target criminals, also civilians, including children, were killed. |
| Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: | kidnapping/abductions; killing |
Reasons for Membership
| PGM Members Coerced? | no information |
| PGM Members Paid? | no information |
| Reasons for Membership: | No information. |
| PGM Members Killed? | never |
PGM Size
| Size: | No information. |
Weapons and Training
| Weapons and Training: | One can infer that the group possessed firearms, as they have shot suspected criminals and civilians. |
Organisation
| Organisation: | The militia carried out joint operations with the police and had links to the Honduran military. It was comprised of multiple groups that operated throughout the country. |
Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis
Evidence
- Examine the evidence for this coding.